Pizza packaging

ABSTRACT

A packaging ( 2  and  36 ) for baked, ready-to-eat pizza, including a lower part ( 4 ) or bottom upon which the pizza may be supported, and an upper part ( 6 ) or a lid for protecting the top side of the pizza. The packaging ( 2  and  36 ) includes a bag of plastic material wherein the lower and upper parts ( 4  and  6 ) comprises a plastic film which at opposite side edges and one end edge are interconnected by welds. The bag ( 2  and  36 ) has an opening at a front side edge with a closure flap ( 16 ) formed from an extended part of the lower part ( 4 ). the packaging includes a lower support member of a plate-shaped rigid material, for example of fiber-cardboard or plastic. The lower support is either disposed at the outer side or at the inner side of the lower part and fastened to the lower part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a pizza packaging.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A traditional pizza packaging has a flat folding box which is often made of cheap recycled cardboard, and which in connection with preparation—folding the flat foldable boxes—demands extensive and relatively time-consuming work. Besides, this manual handling may constitute a risk of contamination by touch.

The busy periods in pizza bakeries are of course concentrated around eating times, that is lunchtime from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. and dinnertime from 5 P.M. to 9 P.M. Prior to these busy periods, the staff prepares/folds a very large number of flat folding boxes which in the folded up condition, in which the folded and fixed box part and with open lid, are placed in high stacks.

It is thus very normal that almost any table or disk face of a pizza bakery close to the mentioned busy periods are filled with high stacks of frequently hundreds of folded up and prepared pizza boxes.

In other words, much work time and storage space is used for preparation and folding up of prior art pizza boxes of cardboard so that the subsequent packing of baked pizzas and distribution thereof can be made as efficient as possible.

However, pizza consumers are conscious of hygiene and environment and aware of any possible health risk. It has appeared that the type of recycled cardboard used extensively for making pizza folding boxes may contain residues of heavy metals and other hazardous substances that may present a food safety hazard.

A possible alternative may be using a cleaner and more expensive cardboard or fiber material for making the popular flat folding boxes for pizzas. However, this alternative represents a considerable increase in the cost beyond the cost of the known folding pizza boxes.

Moreover, the food authorities recommend that fiber-based materials in general are not used for direct contact with food.

US 2003/0127462 A1 discloses to a transportable packaging system for products that are best carried in a horizontal position and that require spaced, non crushable stacking. It is useful in the food industry as packaging for pizza, heated fast-food items, salads, deli products, and bakery goods. This packaging system has additional uses outside the food industry, for example as lightweight, cost-effective packaging for crushable arts and crafts, floral wreaths, toys, and any other products that are best kept in a horizontal position during storage and transport and that need to be stacked apart without crushing. This packaging is potentially reusable, and thus environmentally friendly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a new and improved pizza packaging which by means of relatively simple means enables avoidance of the above-mentioned problems represented by the prior art pizza packagings.

The pizza packaging according to the invention has lower and upper parts made of a plastic film which at opposite side edges and one end edge are interconnected by welds. The packaging provides a bag with an opening at a front side edge with a closure flap provided by an extended part of the lower part. The bag includes a lower support member with a plate-shaped rigid material, for example of fiber-cardboard or plastic, and said lower support is either disposed at the outer side or at the inner side of the lower part and fastened to the latter.

By means of relatively simple means the above-mentioned problems connected with the work of folding up the prior art pizza packagings in the shape of flat folding boxes of cardboard are counteracted.

An acknowledged problem of using the prior art flat pizza boxes of cardboard is avoided while at the same time eliminating cardboard dust and small cardboard pieces circulating around in the pizza bakery when the pizza boxes are assembled. As an important extra benefit, the disagreeable taste of cardboard in the pizza is eliminated at the same time.

It may be advantageous for the pizza packaging according to the invention to have the inner support member include a plastic disc with a plane center surface of about the same size as a pizza and with an annular edge part sloping upwards/outwards. The extreme advantage is achieved that the pizza can be enclosed by the annular edge part which provides lateral support when stacking several bag-packed pizzas.

Irrespective of the support member being placed inside or outside of the bag, it may be advantageous that the support member is made from the same type of plastic material as the bag film, for example polypropylene, since it will be very easy to fix the support member to the plastic film by an appropriate number of weldpoints.

The pizza packaging according to the invention is suitably designed such that an upper part can contact the pizza and keep it warm for a longer time than in the common pizza packaging.

On the other hand, the pizza packaging according to the invention is further advantageous when the upper part at least in an edge area outside a circular center area, with a size corresponding to that of a pizza, includes a large number of micro-perforations, so that the pizza will avoid being unnecessarily soft and spongy.

With the intention of facilitating removal of the pizza, or removing a piece of the pizza, the pizza packaging according to the invention may advantageously have the upper part designed with a circular central tearing field with a size corresponding to that of a pizza and with a gripping tab disposed centrally in the opening with the tearing field including gripping tab formed by a series of annular perforations.

The pizza packaging according to the invention is suitably provided in varying sizes at least corresponding to pizzas with diameters of about 23, 30 and 40 cm.

With the object of making the pizza packaging according to the invention stackable, it may advantageously be designed such that the inner support member is constituted by a flat piece of plastic, e.g. polypropylene, which at the top side along its periphery is designed with upright, preferably hollow, upwardly tapering support columns with the pointed ends engaging complementarily designed recesses in the bottom side of the flat plastic piece.

It may furthermore be expedient for the pizza packaging according to the invention to have the support columns and the recesses which are angularly spaced apart along the periphery of the flat plastic piece such that pizza packagings, after being turned 90°, may be stacked upon each other, so that the pointed ends of the support columns in the lower part of the pizza packaging may engage the recesses of an upper part of the pizza packaging with the same design.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained below in more detail with reference to the drawing, on which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a pizza packaging according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of another embodiment of a pizza packaging according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a support plate with upright spacer columns for use in the pizza packaging according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a plan sectional view of two stacked support plates, cf. FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The pizza packaging 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes a bag for packaging including a lower part 4 and an upper part 6 which are both made of plastic film, for example polypropylene. The lower part 4 and the upper part 6 are connected by weld seams at both side edges 8 and 10 and one rear side edge 12.

At an open front side, the lower part 4 has an extension forming a closure flap 16 which bends upwardly and forwardly for fastening to an upper side edge of the upper part 6. The closure flap 16 is provided for this purpose with a transverse strip 18 of adhesive which in a way known per se is temporarily covered by a tearing strip 20.

The upper part 6 on the drawing is shown darker than the lower part 4, indicating that the upper part 6 is provided with an encapsulated metal coating having the purpose of keeping the pizza warm and which does not get in contact with the pizza. The upper part 6 is around a central circular field 22 which in size corresponds to the size of a pizza. An annular zone 24 is provided with a very large number of micro perforations 26 so that vapour may escape from the hot pizza which thereby does not become soft and spongy.

The central circular field 22 of the upper part 6 forms a tearing field 28 which at the front side of the bag packaging 2 has a tearing tab 30. The tearing field including the tearing tab are provided by a an annular series of perforations 32 such that the tearing field 28 can be torn up by gripping the gripping tab 30 and pulling backwardly and upwardly so that the tearing field 28—like a lid—is pulled off, providing free access to the pizza.

At the lower part 4 a lower square support member 34 is provided which supports the pizza disposed inside the pizza bag 2, and which is constituted by a relatively stiff material, for example fiber-cardboard or plastic. The support member 34 is fastened to the outer side of the lower part 4.

The pizza packaging 36 shown in FIG. 2 which includes a bag is substantially designed to be like the pizza packaging 2 including a bag. The same reference numbers are used to identify the same parts as in FIG. 1. The difference is that the outer support member 34 has been replaced by an inner disc-shaped support member 38 provided with an annular upwardly and outwardly sloping edge part 40.

Irrespective of the support member being disposed inside or outside the packaging 2 or 36, it may be advantageous for the support member 34 and 38 to be made of the same type of plastic material as the bag film, for example polypropylene, so that it is easy to fix the support member 34 or 38 to the lower part 6 by a suitable number of weld points.

A very important aspect of the invention is to save work time and storage space for preparation and folding of prior art folding boxes of cardboard, so that the subsequent packing of baked pizzas can be made efficient by using quite flat bag packagings which in a way known per se can be stored suspended on a wall in layers of bags, wherefrom the bags can be taken one by one in the situation of use.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a preferred embodiment of a support plate 42 for use by a stackable pizza packaging. The support plate 42, which is made of a suitable plastic material, for example polypropylene, is U-shaped along the periphery with upright hollow upwardly tapering support columns 44, having a height adapted to the thickness of a pizza.

The pointed ends 46 of the support columns 44 are adapted to interact with recesses 48 made at the bottom side of a corresponding support plate 42. The mutual angular position of support columns 44 and recesses 48 are chosen such that they also fit together after turning an upper pizza packaging 90°, so that it may be supported on the support columns 44 by a corresponding lower support plate 42 of a corresponding pizza packaging (FIG. 4). For the sake of clarity, the bag-shaped pizza packaging is omitted in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 3, the mutual angular displacement is 110° and 70° between two support columns 44 and two recesses 48, respectively. Any other angular displacement may be applied as long as their sum is 180°. For example, a mutual angular displacement of 100° and 80°, respectively, between support columns 44 and recesses 48 is also acceptable.

In connection with production and distribution, support plates 42 may be stacked in a denser and less space-consuming stack because the support columns 44 are hollow and open downwardly. In practice, the support columns may probably have greater width along the periphery of the support plate 42, but may still be hollow and open downwardly. 

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A packaging for baked, ready-to-eat pizza, comprising a lower part upon which the pizza may be supported, an upper part for protecting a top side of the pizza, and a bag of plastic, wherein the lower and upper parts comprise a plastic film which at opposite side edges and one end edge are interconnected by welds, the bag including an opening at a front side edge with a closure flap disposed at an extension of the lower part, the bag including a lower support member of a plate-shaped rigid material with the lower support either being disposed at an outer side or at an inner side of the lower part and fastened to the lower part.
 10. A packaging according to claim 9, wherein the lower support member includes a plastic disc with a plane center surface of about a size of a pizza and with an annular edge part sloping upwardly and outwardly beyond the pizza.
 11. A packaging according to claim 9, wherein the upper part comprises a plastic film with an encapsulated metal coating.
 12. A packaging according to claim 9, wherein the upper part in at least in an edge area outside a circular center area with a size corresponding to that of a pizza comprises perforations.
 13. A packaging according to claim 9, wherein the upper part is disposed above an outer side of the lower part and fastened thereto.
 14. A packaging according to claim 9, wherein the inner side has one of a diameter of about 23, 30 and 40 cm.
 15. A packaging according to claim 9, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film with encapsulated metal coating.
 16. A packaging according to claim 15, comprising support columns and recesses angularly spaced apart along a periphery of a flat plastic piece of the packaging so that packagings, after turning 90°, are stackable upon each other so that pointed ends of the support columns in a lower packaging engage recesses of an upper packaging.
 17. A packaging according to claim 10, wherein the upper part comprises a plastic film with an encapsulated metal coating.
 18. A packaging according to claim 10, wherein the upper part in at least in an edge area outside a circular center area with a size corresponding to that of a pizza comprises perforations.
 19. A packaging according to claim 11, wherein the upper part in at least in an edge area outside a circular center area with a size corresponding to that of a pizza comprises perforations.
 20. A packaging according to claim 10, wherein the upper part is disposed above an outer side of the lower part and fastened thereto.
 21. A packaging according to claim 11, wherein the upper part is disposed above an outer side of the lower part and fastened thereto.
 22. A packaging according to claim 12, wherein the upper part is disposed above an outer side of the lower part and fastened thereto.
 23. A packaging according to claim 10, wherein the inner side has one of a diameter of about 23, 30 and 40 cm.
 24. A packaging according to claim 11, wherein the inner side has one of a diameter of about 23, 30 and 40 cm.
 25. A packaging according to claim 12, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 26. A packaging according to claim 13, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 27. A packaging according to claim 10, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 28. A packaging according to claim 11, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 29. A packaging according to claim 12, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 30. A packaging according to claim 13, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 31. A packaging according to claim 14, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 32. A packaging according to claim 15, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 33. A packaging according to claim 16, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 34. A packaging according to claim 17, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 35. A packaging according to claim 18, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 36. A packaging according to claim 19, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 37. A packaging according to claim 20, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 38. A packaging according to claim 21, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 39. A packaging according to claim 22, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 40. A packaging according to claim 23, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 41. A packaging according to claim 24, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 42. A packaging according to claim 25, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating.
 43. A packaging according to claim 26, wherein lower support member comprises a plastic film encapsulating a metal coating. 